''Hopefully, we'll do this again in September and get another
40 cats to the clinic.''

For $20, the cat got a health check, deworming, vaccination
and microchipping at the polytechnic's veterinary clinic and
the owner received a goodie bag, which included cat food and
a collar, she said.

Stray cats were a long-standing problem in Dunedin and the
OUSA wanted students to get cats registered and linked with a
Dunedin veterinarian and to take up the offer of discounted
cat desexing, Ms Lee said.

''We realise the impact of strays in the north end and we're
hoping that by offering cheap desexing options we can
continue to make more students take the step into responsible
pet ownership.''

The clinic was supported by Virbac, Stockguard, Dunedin
veterinarians and nurses and the Otago SPCA, Ms Lee said.

SPCA Otago chief executive Sophie McSkimming said the SPCA
bought the vaccines and worming pills for the clinic and she
hoped the initiative would result in fewer abandoned cats.

Otago Polytechnic nursing student Hannah Larkins said she
brought her 15-week-old kitten Snowy to the clinic because
without the discount it cost about $100 to vaccinate and
microchip a cat.